OCR Text |
Show Sat/Sun/Mon/Tues, January 8-11,2005 The Park Record A-10 Kids are climbing the walls Nebo teachers learn alternative activities for PEfromTMMS By JARED WHITLEY Of the Record staff Braving Wednesday's aggressive storm - and jammed roads - a bus of 30 teachers from Utah County visited Treasure Mountain Middle School to learn about its alternative options for gym class. Physical education at Treasure Mountain includes its share of team sports, but the school also has equipment for some non-compclitive sports like snow-shoeing, crosscountry skiing, and climbing. The PE teachers from southern Utah County's Nebo School District want to emulate Treasure Mountains curriculum, and have the money to do so, at least in part, thanks to a federal grant they received with help from Brigham Young University staff. "We fell Treasure Mountain was a model school and had some curriculum, and some great teachers, to show how it's done," said Todd Pennington, an exercise and sports science professor from BYU. Treasure Mountain lias had a traverse climbing wall for the last few months. Climbing walls typically try to simulate ascending a rock face, taking climbers up a high vertical surface with plastic handholds. This one doesn't. It's only 8 feet tall, but 75 feet wide. Kids are never more than 3 feet off the ground as they climb vertically. "It isn't your typical traverse wall," said Ted Da vies of the Nebo School District. "Playing basketball would be more dangerous than this." Treasure Mountain teachers taught the Nebo-itcs instructional techniques for PE classes that involve the wall, as well as classes where students cross-country ski and snowshoe. "It's one thing to do it, but it's another thing to know how to teach it," Daviessaid. Thanks to the grant, Nebo teachers have snowshoes for PE classes, but they want their schools to get traverse walls too. "The teachers do, but we're in the process of convincing the school board," Davies said, because of liability and safety issues. Treasure Mountain seventhgrader Ashley Ramirez, 13, said she's fallen off the wall before, but hasn't been injured. " "Your hands hurt sometimes, but you get used to it," she said. "If GRAYSON WEST/PARK RECORD Please see Team sports, A-12 Where in the world is...? PHOTO COURTESY OF DEB CORRIGAN U.S. history teacher Kathleen Brandon quizzes Jeff Nawrocki and Alex Cohen (right) at Ecker Hill Middle School's geography bee on Wednesday. Cohen, eighth-grade, won the event. TMMS seventh-grader Kameron Paulsen scales the climbing wall sideways on Wednesday. STUDENTTO STUDENT Ye Olde New Year's Resolutions By KAITLYN BOOTH Park Record intern Tradition, I think that's what the holidays are all about. Each year you do the same thing for whatever holidays you celebrate because that's the way things arc. I know I'm used to the same thing with the same people and I'm okay with that, most people arc. After the holidays comes another tradition: New Year's Resolutions. Now the question becomes: are New Year's Resolutions a thing of the past? I decided to find out for myself. I polled 24 tenth-grade students and I got some interesting results. Twelve students said "yes." they do make New Year's Resolutions, but about 25 percent of those yeses were "sometimes." Ten students said "no," and two students did not return the survey to me. I was honestly surprised by this; I suspected that most people thought New Year's Resolutions were a thing of the past. "I kind of do, but I don't base my year around it," said Peter Miller on his survey. I thought it was interesting how many students made resolutions, but ended up not following through with them in the end. I also asked students why they made their resolutions. I have F I N E always made my resolutions based on something I put off the previous year. It is always something attainable and I always leave room to expand. For example, my resolution this year is to write 20,000 words a month on any story. That is 5,000 words a week, something I know I can do in one sitting. Therefore. I know I can attain this goal fairly easily and there is plenty of room for me to expand on it. "I make one to get a better mindset to do better," said Jared Pursell. There couldn't be any better way to put it. If you want to improve yourself you need to gel into the mindset that says you will improve. However, should we limit ourselves to only setting goals at the beginning of the year? Should we really only set one thing to work on? The most logical reason for making a resolution at the beginning of the year is because it seems like a fresh start, much like the mindset students get into when one quarter ends and another begins. They can slack off until midterm or later when they suddenly start worrying about their grades. It is true that resolutions give you the determination to work on that one thing that bothered you the previous year, but Kaitlyn Booth can a negative consequence come from this tradition as well? "No. I don't [make resolutions] because I always try to improve something and you can'tijust focus on one thing or you willfeet worse al something else...I always iry and improve myself." hsaid T.J Even so. we still try antt make the coming year the best we can. One thing thai people alVays comment on when asked vyhat their New Years Resolution is they want to he a belter person, whether its giving up that swixet or just being a nicer person. \ We all want to be the best w\ can be. So whether you make ye\ oldc New Years Resolution or \ not, just remember thai a new- V year can be fresh start. So let's try \ and make 2005 the best year ever. A R T Presents REMBRANDT & PICASSO CHRIST HEALING THE SICK - REMBRANDT - 1649 VIRGIN AND CHILD IN THE CLOUDS - REMBRANDT - 1641 LIFETIME ORIGINAL ETCHINGS DECEMBER 26 - JANUARY 15 HOLIDAY SHOW 10:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. Daily 751 Main St. > BUST W/CHECK CLOTH BODICE - PICASSO (Lower Main St.) Park City (435) 658-1800 www.stanfieldfineart.com DANSEUSE-PICASSO- 1954 |